Phoenix Arisen
by Jumper Prime
Summary: The Phoenix is found, but there's a catch which changes Holly forever. Is she up to this new challenge? This story is a must for Holly fans.
1. Unlock!

(Type a title for your page here) Disclaimer: Monster Rancher and all characters appearing therein don't belong to me. I am writing this story purely for the enjoyment of myself and others. I am not making any money from this at all, so please don't sue me.  
  
Phoenix Arisen  
By: Jumper Prime  
  
Author's Note: This story is a sequel to my previous work, Captured. You don't need to have read Captured to understand this story, but I think it would help as it helps bridge the gap between the canon universe and my little world.  
  
Chapter 1: Unlock!  
  
Genki, Holly, Moochi, Suezo, Tiger, Hare, and Golem were walking amongst a collection of rock formations that towered into the sky.  
  
"Holly, you're sure the Magic Stone said the Phoenix is this way?" Tiger asked  
"Yup." Holly answered "It pointed in this direction last time I checked it."  
"Then perhaps you should check it again." Hare suggested "Because we seem to have reached a dead end."  
  
Indeed, up ahead the rock formations gave way to a sheer cliff that towered above the group. Holly gestured with her hands and a green stone with a cord attached floated out of the top of her shirt and hovered above her cupped hands.  
  
"Magic Stone," Holly intoned "Show us where the Phoenix lies asleep."  
  
An image of a glowing golden bird appeared in the stone, flapping its wings a few times before becoming an arrow that pointed to a part of the cliff off to the left.  
  
"Hey, maybe the Phoenix's Mystery Disc is at the foot of the cliff." Genki said cheerfully "Let's go!"  
"Chi!" Moochi chirped in agreement  
  
The group hiked towards the rock wall, hopeful of what they would find. As they reached it, they saw a large cave entrance. The Magic Stone pointed right at the cave entrance.  
  
"Maybe we should think about this." Suezo said as Hare got out a torch and a tinderbox "Remember what happened last time we went into a cave."  
"Don't be a worrywart, Suezo." Genki teased "We'll be fine."  
"We'll be fine, chi." Moochi echoed  
"What is that?" Golem asked as he peered back the way they had come, where a large cloud of dust could be seen. Suezo turned and focused his single large eye on the dust cloud  
"It's a bunch of Metalners." The eyeball announced, then his eye narrowed as he focused in more "And they're Baddies!"  
"Let's get into the cave," Hare suggested as he lit the torch "Maybe they haven't seen us yet."  
"I say we fight them right here." Tiger countered  
"We can't let the Baddies slow us down when we're so close to the Phoenix!" Holly responded  
"And there's a ton of Metalners coming," Suezo added "I dunno if we can take on that many at once. Metalners are supposed to be tough."  
"Alright, alright." Tiger sighed "Let's go."  
  
The group quickly entered the cave, walking down the tunnel before them. There were several forks in the passageway, but each time, the Magic Stone pointed the way. Eventually, the cave widened out into a large cavern. As the group exited the passageway, it was suddenly sealed behind them and the cavern was filled with bright light. Standing all around was a mass of Metalners, all bearing the crest of the Baddies.  
  
"Master Grey Wolf always says to let your prey come to you." A Metalner with black spikes sticking out of its body spoke "How nice of you to walk into our trap."  
"How'd you get ahead of us?" Genki asked as he pulled on his skates  
"Simplicity itself, boy. My built-in radar allowed me to get a decent map of the caverns and track your progress so we could get ahead of you. That reminds me, after we take care of you, I gotta remember to check out that energy anomaly I picked up."  
"You're getting ahead of yourself, pal." Tiger snarled "You gotta beat us first."  
"Then let's get this over with. Metalners, attack!"  
  
The Metalners charged as Holly drew her dagger. Genki and the others ran at the approaching Baddies, meeting them head on.  
  
"TORNADO ATTACK!" Golem shouted as his body broke apart into a number of pieces which whirled around and bashed several Metalners  
"TORPEDO!" Tiger called out as electricity shot from his horns, stunning a couple of his opponents  
"CHERRY BLOSSOM BLIZZARD, CHI!" Moochi sent a storm of pink flower petals at some Metalners, forcing them to slow their advance  
"Feet first!" Genki shouted as his skate-clad feet impacted the metal face of a Metalner  
"DRAGON PUNCH!" Hare knocked another Metalner for a loop with a flaming fist  
"TAIL ATTACK!" Suezo spun through the air to strike a Metalner with his tail, which did little more than daze it for a few seconds before it struck him with its fist, slamming him into a nearby wall  
  
Holly slashed Metalners with her dagger and hit others with a flying kicks. Genki skated through the ranks of Metalners at high speed, weaving around them and scoring hits with his fists and feet. Golem sent Metalners flying left and right with his huge fists. Hare punched and kicked as Moochi punched and headbutted the Baddies. Suezo quickly recovered from his encounter with the wall and was using his Tongue Slap and Slobbery Kiss to distract and disorient the Metalners. Tiger cut loose with his Lightning, Torpedo, Blizzard, and Roar attacks, striking down many enemies. The heroes were holding their own, but there were just too many Metalners. Eventually they would tire and the Metalners would bring them down by sheer weight of numbers. Hare saw this and knew what needed to be done.  
  
"Holly!" the rabbit-like monster called out "Follow the Stone, we'll hold them here!"  
"I won't abandon you guys!" Holly responded angrily as she slashed another Metalner  
"There are too many of them! Follow the Stone to what it's pointing to then get back to us and we'll break out!"  
"Alright. I'll be back as soon as I can! Golem, I need you to throw me to the other passage!"  
"Are you sure Holly?" Golem asked as he batted aside some Metalners that were between him and Holly "You might get hurt."  
"I can handle it, now hurry!"  
"Golem will do it." Golem picked up Holly in his hand and reared back to throw her "Good luck!"  
  
Golem threw Holly towards the passageway that was now the only way out of the cavern, the one Genki and the others had entered through having been blocked by the Metalners to trap her and the others, and the girl soared over the heads of the Baddies. She did a tuck and roll in midair and landed on her feet next to the passageway. Without hesitation, Holly dashed into the passageway as Genki, Moochi, Suezo, Tiger, Golem, and Hare moved to block the Baddies from following her. They were mostly successful, keeping the Metalners away from the passageway, but suddenly, the spike-studded form of Captain Metalner flew over their heads, propelled by rocket exhaust from his feet. Tiger and Moochi tried to stop him with Torpedo and Cherry Blossom Blizzard attacks respectively, but the wily robot managed to avoid the attacks and dashed down the passageway.  
  
"Oh no!" Genki grimaced "The Captain got through! We gotta go help Holly!"  
"We're already helping her by keeping the rest of them back!" Tiger growled "Holly isn't the wimp we used to think she was. She can handle one Metalner on her own." then, in a voice too soft to be heard, he muttered "Don't make me a liar Holly, come back in one piece."  
  
As the guys fought back the horde of Metalners, Holly was following the directions of the Magic Stone through the maze of tunnels, hoping that it was leading her straight to the Phoenix. She turned a corner and stopped short, dazzled by the sight before her. A glowing golden light filled the tunnel ahead, the very center of the light seemed to be alive, moving to and fro like a living thing. Holly watched in awe as the light coalesced into a shiny Mystery Disc which floated before her.  
  
*This must be the Phoenix's Mystery Disc.* she thought *It's exactly like the one Moo was in before he took over my father's body, except that instead of darkness, it's light.*  
  
Holly stepped forward to take hold of the Mystery Disc, but as her hands closed around the artifact, from behind her she heard the sound of a rock being crushed by a metal foot. Holly spun around to see Captain Metalner before her, arm extended and fist glowing as he prepared to fire an attack.  
  
"Thanks for the Mystery Disc, girl." Captain Metalner said calmly "Now hand it over real easy and I'll let you live. I hear Master Moo is very interested in getting his hands on you alive, which should net me a bonus when I bring you all in, I might even let your friends live so Master Grey Wolf can have the pleasure of killing them himself."  
"You won't hurt me." Holly said defiantly as she clutched the Mystery Disc to her chest "You just said Moo wants me alive."  
"Unfortunately for you, recent intelligence says you've taken to fighting monsters, lately. Whether or not that's true, I can't be blamed if you resist and end up getting killed as I try to subdue you."  
  
As Holly's eyes widened, blinding light started pouring from the Mystery Disc she held. Back in the cavern, the battle had turned against Genki, Moochi, Suezo, Hare, Tiger, and Golem. They were getting tired and were losing ground fast when they heard a scream echo out of the passageway.  
  
"Holly!" Suezo cried out in anguish as he recognized the voice "One of us shoulda gone with her! Hare, Tiger, this is your fault! Hare, you sent her in there alone and Tiger, you said she could handle a Metalner on her own! Now who knows what he's done to her!"  
  
As Suezo finished voicing his accusation, a plume of fire billowed out of the passageway, almost singing the beleaguered defenders.  
  
"Holly, no!" Genki wailed "If she was caught in that, there's no way she coulda survived!"  
  
With Genki and the others momentarily distracted by the plight of their friend, the Metalners took the opportunity to redouble their attack, scattering the team and sending them reeling to the ground. All the Baddies leveled their glowing fists at the fallen members of the team, preparing to release their blasts at full power, but just as they were about to fire, an armored figure as big as Golem charged out of the passageway, drawing the attention of the Metalners away from their fallen enemies.  
  
The giant was covered in silver armor with a white cloak, the armor looked much like that which Moo wore, except for the color, and the fact that the shape of the chest armor suggested the wearer was female, but the most awe inspiring part was the helmet. The helmet was shiny silver with a silver bird's beak extending out from the front. Glowing blue eyes could be seen through the eyeholes and a mane of golden hair cascaded down the giant's back.  
  
"Is that... the Phoenix?" Genki said in awe  
  
The Metalners immediately turned to face this new threat and unleashed their blasts on her. The Phoenix raised her right arm and a massive wave of fire billowed from her open hand, swallowing up the Metalners' attacks before engulfing the Metalners themselves. Genki, Moochi, Tiger, Hare, Suezo, and Golem futilely tried to shield themselves from the fire, but were surprised to find that the flames flowed around them, each in their own pocket of safety. The Baddies were not so lucky. Engulfed by the flames, the Metalners screamed as their bodies started to melt, the Phoenix's flame attack petering out as the Metalners' bodies all started to glow and then changed shape before solidifying into Lost Discs. Genki and the others stood up, moving to stand before the Phoenix, the object of their quest found at last.  
  
"I assume you are the Phoenix?" Hare asked and the Phoenix slowly nodded her head  
"Wh-what happened to Holly?" Suezo asked, afraid of what the answer might be  
  
The Phoenix did not answer, but instead fell to her knees hard, cracking the rock beneath, and then fell forward, her hands crunching more rock as Genki and the others scrambled out of the way.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Tiger wondered aloud "The Phoenix is supposed to be at least as powerful as Moo. That attack shouldn't have taken that much out of her."  
"Perhaps, she has been asleep a long time?" Golem theorized  
"That sounds like a reasonable explanation." Hare agreed "If she hasn't used her powers in a long time, they might tire her more than they should."  
"Forget the Phoenix for a minute!" Suezo snarled "What happened to Holly!?"  
  
The Phoenix's body started to glow brightly, bringing astonished looks to the faces of those present. Her body started to shrink, making them fear that she was turning into a Lost Disc, but her basic shape stayed the same, the shrinkage stopping when she reached human size and the glow disappeared. Holly fell to the ground unconscious.  
  
"Holly!?" The same utterance came from everyone's lips as they rushed to help their friend.  
"She's out like a light." Hare declared as he examined her "Her breathing is shallow, her pulse is barely there, and she's running a fever, but she's alive."  
"We should get her out of this cave and make camp." Genki decided  
"Golem will carry Holly." Golem announced as he gently took Holly's limp body in his massive hand, Hare riding beside her to monitor her condition.  
  
Tiger destroyed the barricade over the tunnel entrance with a Torpedo attack, and the group started back towards the surface. As they walked through the cave, one thought was on everyone's mind: What the heck happened?  
  
End of Chapter 1  
  
Welcome to my Monster Rancher epic "Phoenix Arisen" and I hope you stick around for more. I had the idea for this story for quite a while but was too busy with other things until recently. The world of Phoenix Arisen follows the anime storyline perfectly until you get to the Grey Wolf arc. "Captured" marks the point where things diverge, but things get really radical when you hit Phoenix Arisen, yet they will stay the same. I'll be retelling the rest of MR with the changes that have resulted. To those purists who don't like how I'm completely changing how and when the Phoenix was found(as told in the final episode of season 2) DEAL WITH IT! This is my story, I can do things however I want. Chapter 2 will explain exactly what happened in the cave, so please be patient and all will be revealed. Oh, and don't worry about the Phoenix mowing down everything in our heroes' way, there's a bit of a problem that will be part of the explanation in chapter 2.  



	2. Phoenix Found

(Type a title for your page here) Phoenix Arisen  
By: Jumper Prime  
  
For Disclaimers see chapter 1  
  
Chapter 2: Phoenix Found  
  
Holly slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she noted was the campfire, then she noted that they were no longer in the cave, but outside, night had fallen.  
  
"What happened?" she asked as she started to sit up  
"Holly! You're awake, chi!" Moochi smiled  
"We were gonna ask you the same question." Genki said "What happened to you down there?"  
"What do you mean?" Holly blinked  
"We were fighting the Metalners, and losing," Hare explained "We heard you scream, and just when they were about to kill us, a giant in silver armor ran in and wiped out all the Metalners in one shot. When asked if she was the Phoenix, the giant nodded in the affirmative and then collapsed before turning into you."  
"Well, I had just found the Phoenix's Mystery Disc when Captain Metalner showed up and threatened to kill me if I didn't hand it over to him. There was a bright light, and I felt pain. I guess I screamed while it was happening."  
"Captain Metalner blasted you?" Tiger guessed  
"No, he hadn't fired yet. What I felt... It hurt, but it felt good at the same time. I think the Phoenix was possessing my body like Moo possessed... my father."  
"YOUR FATHER?!" Everyone was shocked  
"What're you talking about, Holly?" Suezo asked  
"When I was his prisoner in the floating castle, Moo told me that he was my father, that he had found Moo's Mystery Disc and Moo had unlocked into him."  
"He had to be lying!" Genki declared "He was just trying to turn you against us!"  
"I don't know about that. Remember my dagger? The one I got while in the floating castle."  
"What about it?" Tiger asked  
"My dagger is the same one my father had when I was a kid, and he took it with him when he left our village. Moo gave it to me himself."  
"Why didn't you ever tell us about this?" Hare frowned  
"At first, I didn't want to believe that Moo had been telling me the truth, but after I had a chance to think about it, I was afraid of how you'd react if it was true and you knew."  
"Secrets are not good." Golem said sagely "True friends can forgive, and what Moo has done is not your fault."  
"Golem's right." Genki declared "We're your friends Holly, even if Moo was your father, he obviously doesn't have any control over you."  
"Chi!" Moochi chimed in  
"Thanks guys." Holly smiled  
"Go on with your story." Tiger grumbled  
"Now where was I? Oh yeah, the Phoenix was possessing my body. It felt really weird, and things get a little fuzzy about then. I think the Phoenix blasted Captain Metalner into a Lost Disc, then ran to help you guys."  
"You mean you did." Hare said  
"No. I felt like I was a passenger, with the Phoenix doing all the work. After she took out the Metalners in the cavern, when you mentioned my name, she felt horrified about something and then everything went black. Next thing I know, I'm waking up here."  
"What could the Phoenix have been horrified about?" Tiger wondered  
[The fact that my power was killing Holly.] The voice came from Holly's lips, but it had a strange tonal quality to it and her eyes were glowing with golden light  
"Uh, Holly..." Suezo blinked his large eye "Are you feeling OK?"  
"What are you!?" Tiger demanded as he got into a battle stance  
[I am the Phoenix.] Holly answered in the strange voice, her eyes continuing to glow  
"What've you done to Holly!?" Genki asked angrily  
[I have done nothing to her. She is safe. We coexist in her body.]  
"Let us talk to Holly!"  
"It's OK, guys." Holly answered in her normal voice, her eyes no longer glowing "It's a little weird having someone else inside my head with me, but I know the Phoenix doesn't mean us any harm."  
"Are you Holly, or the Phoenix?" Golem asked in a calm voice  
"I think I'm both. I'm still me, but the Phoenix is inside me."  
"Yippie!" Moochi cheered "We found the Phoenix! Now we can beat Moo! Chi!"  
"I'm not sure if it will be as easy as that, Moochi." Hare said cautiously then turned to Holly "What did the Phoenix mean when she said her power was killing you?"  
[Holly's body could handle neither the intensity of my power, nor the strain of maintaining my giant form.] Holly's eyes again began to glow again and her voice took on the same tonal quality as before as the Phoenix answered Hare's question [Had I not withdrawn my power when I did, she would have died.]  
"Hmm, if Moo possessed Holly's father as you now possess her, this could point to a weakness of his. He would have to withdraw his power every so often to avoid killing his host."  
[An incorrect assumption, Hare. Had I not withdrawn my power and instead allowed Holly to die, I would have continued on in her body, in the giant form you witnessed. Moo likely did not care that he was killing his host and allowed Holly's father to die, devouring his soul and stealing his body.]  
"Wait a minute!" Holly said in her own voice, the glow again fading from her eyes "You mean... my father's dead? But can't we save him by driving Moo out of his body, somehow?"  
[No Holly.] Holly's eyes lit up again as the Phoenix responded [Were we somehow able to drive Moo's soul from the body he now inhabits, all that would be left behind would be a corpse.]  
"My father's really gone..." The glow left Holly's eyes and she started to weep, mourning her father  
"It's alright Holly," Genki touched her shoulder soothingly "We're all here with you. Just let it all out."  
"Phoenix, you said you couldn't use your power without killing Holly?" Hare asked  
[That is correct.] Holly's eyes lit up again, but her tears continued to flow [When I unfurl my power, it puts too much strain on Holly's body. If I manifested again, her body would burn itself out in a matter of minutes.]  
"Then how the hell are you supposed to defeat Moo?!" Tiger snarled "You're supposed to be some legendary monster but in order to fulfill that legend, you have to kill an innocent or else let Moo stay in power!"  
"Tiger, be calm." Golem cautioned  
[I cannot use my own power, but perhaps my power can still defeat Moo.]  
"Huh?" Moochi scratched his head "Moochi doesn't understand."  
"Would you mind explaining that statement?" Hare blinked  
[I cannot draw upon my power without killing Holly, but perhaps Holly can defeat Moo, using my power.]  
"But you just said your power would kill Holly." Suezo noted  
[I am accustomed to drawing on the sum total of my power when I use it, which would result in Holly's death. But since I share her body, Holly can learn to use my powers, not much at first, but her body would slowly grow used to channeling ever greater amounts until she could safely handle sufficient power to defeat Moo.]  
"Who knows how long that would take!" Tiger snarled "And what're we supposed to do in the meantime? Sit around waiting for the Baddies to take us out? No thanks."  
[While Holly grows used to my power, the most constructive activity we all could do would be what you have been doing: Chipping away at Moo's power base. You have already neutralized two of the Big Bad Four, which leaves two to go.]  
"I get it," Hare smiled "By eliminating the remainder of the Big Bad Four, we reduce the effectiveness of Moo's troops and will leave him more vulnerable to attack when Holly is ready to fight him."  
[Correct.]  
"I guess the first order of business is-" Genki started to speak, but then yawned "To get some sleep."  
  
Everyone said goodnight and lay down to sleep, rest that they all needed after their grueling day. Holly lay awake for a few minutes, reflecting on the changes in her life before finally falling asleep herself. The next day, Holly was the first one to wake up and did her usual morning kata. As she performed the kata, she felt an unfamiliar warmth in her body which puzzled her. Holly was putting more wood on the fire in preparation for cooking breakfast when a stick burst into flame while she was still holding it. Holly dropped it with a shriek, instantly waking up the others who sprang to their feet, expecting an attack.  
  
"What's wrong, Holly?" Genki asked as he looked around cautiously  
"I- I was putting more wood on the fire..." Holly stammered "And a stick caught fire while I was still holding it. It just burst into flame."  
"A spark from the fire ignited it" Tiger deduced as he settled back down to get a little more sleep "Nothing to worry about."  
"It wasn't anywhere near the fire Tiger. And it didn't slowly burn like if a spark landed on it, the stick was just suddenly burning."  
"Hmmmm." Hare rubbed his chin in thought "I have a theory."  
"What theory?"  
"Perhaps you did it, Holly."  
"What do you mean? I did it?"  
"Yes. The Phoenix is a fiery monster, perhaps the stick bursting into flame while you were holding it was an uncontrolled manifestation of the Phoenix's power. What were you thinking when the stick ignited?"  
"I was... thinking about the weird feeling I was having while I was doing my kata earlier."  
"What sort of feeling?"  
"A warm feeling, all through my body."  
"Interesting." Hare picked up a stick and handed it to Holly "Here, try thinking the same thing and see if you can ignite the stick again."  
"OK." Holly concentrated on the feeling of warmth and felt it suffuse her body again. She focused on the stick, and suddenly the stick was burning. "Wow! I did it!" Holly smiled as she tossed the burning stick into the fire.  
"That's great Holly," Suezo said "But I'm getting a little hungry here."  
  
Everyone laughed and Holly set to work making breakfast, being careful not to set the food on fire with her new power. After everyone had eaten their fill, they got to the business of helping Holly access her new powers.  
  
"Try focusing on the feeling of warmth you felt before." Hare suggested "Gather it together in one place, like your hand." Holly did as instructed and a small fireball appeared in Holly's hand. "Good, now throw it."  
  
Holly drew back her arm and threw the fireball at a large rock nearby. The fireball went wide and fizzled on the ground.  
  
"I guess my throwing arm needs some work." Holly sighed  
"Don't worry Holly, back home I was the pitcher on my baseball team." Genki said and proceeded to demonstrate proper throwing technique  
"Genki, what's baseball?" Moochi asked  
"Huh? Oh, baseball is a game we play back in my world. The pitcher throws a ball at a guy called the batter who has to use his bat, a semi-long rod made of wood or metal, to hit the ball."  
"I don't think I'm gonna get this!" Holly groaned in frustration as yet another fireball missed the target  
"Looks like you've got it about right. I guess you just need to get used to how your fireball behaves in the air."  
"Practice makes perfect." Golem nodded  
"Don't give up, chi!" Moochi cheered Holly on  
  
Holly threw several more fireballs before she finally hit the rock, to the cheers of her friends. She then bent over in exhaustion, feeling very tired.  
"Man," she groaned "I feel as tired as I was after my fight with Janne." Genki helped Holly get over to a rock big enough to sit on as the others looked on in concern.  
"Why's she so tired?" Tiger wondered "She wasn't doing it for that long."  
"Most likely, her body needs to get used to the power expenditure." Hare theorized "The Phoenix said as much last night."  
*If I get so tired just throwing a few little fireballs,* Holly thought to herself *How am I ever gonna beat Moo?*  
[Do not doubt yourself, Holly.] The Phoenix's voice echoed in her head [Your body is already starting to adjust to my power. Recall that this is the first time you have actually used it. Soon, throwing fireballs will be no more tiring than any other fighting technique which you know.]  
*I hope you're right.*  
[Patience is key. You should be careful not to push yourself too far, too fast. For now, concentrate on making my power flow smoothly, not on attacks as large as the one which I used to destroy those Metalners in the cave.]  
*Alright, you know best how to get your powers to work.*  
[Do not forget that they are now your powers as well.]  
  
A short time later, Holly had rested enough for them to start the day's travel, but there was one question before them.  
  
"So which way do we go?" Suezo wondered "We've found the Phoenix so the Magic Stone can't help us much."  
[On the contrary, Suezo,] Holly's eyes glowed as the Phoenix spoke [The Magic Stone can still guide us. We need only ask it which direction we must travel.]  
"Alright, here goes." Holly spoke as her eyes stopped glowing and she brought out the Magic Stone "Magic Stone, show us the way to go."  
  
The image of a golden bird appeared within the Magic Stone and flapped its wings before turning into an arrow.  
  
"Alright, lets go!" Genki said with his usual exuberance  
"Chi!" Moochi chimed in with equal enthusiasm  
  
The group started walking in the indicated direction. A little while later they began hearing a strange buzzing sound, distant but growing closer.  
  
"What's that sound?" Holly asked  
"Sounds like insect wings." Hare answered  
"It's insects alright!" Suezo said, his eye focusing ahead "Centurions, coming fast, and they're most definitely Baddies!"  
  
Suezo had just announced their approach when a swarm of giant armored beetles buzzed the group and then hovered above them.  
  
"Surrender!" ordered a Centurion(Beaclon/Durahan) wearing spiked shoulder guards  
"OK, we accept your surrender." Genki joked "Go away and we won't hurt you."  
"Why you impertinent little human!" Captain Centurion was livid "You'll learn in a moment not to make fun of Centurions who serve Master Grey Wolf! Centurions, attack!"  
  
The Centurions flew at Genki and the others and a fierce melee broke out. Holly quickly lost track of how her friends were doing because she had to totally focus on the Centurion attacking her, thankfully not the Captain. She quickly discovered that she couldn't seem to hurt it, her punches and kicks bounced off its armor and her dagger could barely make the tiniest of scratches. Holly refused to give up, however, and kept attacking. Then she failed to dodge a swing of its horn and was sent tumbling. As she got back to her feet, Holly realized the Centurion was laughing at her, this brought an angry look to her face. Holly's body started to glow with a pink aura, causing the Centurion to stop laughing.  
  
"FLAME SLASH!" she shouted and swung her dagger horizontally in front of her  
  
As the dagger traveled in its arc, it left behind a trail of fire from the blade. As Holly completed her swing, the ribbon of flame she had formed was already traveling through the air towards the Centurion, several feet away. The Centurion screamed in pain as the flame hit it, the heat melting part of its armor. Holly immediately followed up by jumping high into the air, both hands holding her dagger over her head, blade towards the ground. Holly's dagger was glowing white hot as she came down on top of the Centurion and plunged the blade clean through its armor and into its head. The Baddie barely had time to scream before its body glowed with energy and transformed into a Lost Disc.  
  
Holly looked around for the others and saw that Genki, Moochi, Hare, Tiger, Suezo, and Golem had managed to herd the remaining Centurions, including the Captain, who was in the process of organizing a counterattack, in one place, the Beaclon/Durahans with varying degrees of damage to their armor. Moochi was facing the Centurions and glowing brightly with pink energy. Holly had a pretty good idea what was coming next.  
  
"MOOCHI CANNON!" the young monster shouted and a stream of pink energy shout out of his mouth, enveloping the gathered Baddies  
  
The Centurions had just enough time to scream before the attack which had defeated Gali of the Big Bad Four shattered their armor and turned them into Lost Discs. The Baddies wiped out, the group could now relax.  
  
"Nice shooting, Moochi," Genki praised his friend "Got em all with that shot. Seven with one blow!"  
"Wait a minute!" Hare spoke up anxiously "Genki, did you say seven?"  
"Yeah, Moochi blasted all seven of them with his attack."  
"But there were eight when they first attacked!"  
"Are you sure Hare?" Tiger asked  
"Completely. My brain retains everything."  
"Where's Holly?" Golem wondered  
"I'm over here, guys!" Holly called over to them and the group bounded over to her  
"Holly, watch yourself, there's still one Centurion left!" Suezo warned  
"Don't worry Suezo. I got the last one." Holly smiled and indicated the lone Lost Disc nearby  
"How'd you manage that?" Tiger asked "The others gave us a lot of trouble. I don't see how you could have defeated one, their armor's hard as steel."  
"I was having a lot of trouble even scratching it, but then I felt this heat inside me, and I channeled it through my dagger. I sent a ribbon of flame through the air to hurt the Centurion, then I drove my dagger through its head."  
"The power you got from the Phoenix!" Genki deduced "Are you feeling OK?"  
"Yeah, I think I'm getting used to the Phoenix's power. I think I could do that attack a few more times without getting exhausted."  
"Could you show us, chi?" Moochi asked hopefully  
"Sure. Moochi."  
  
Holly turned away from the others and faced a small tree not far from the Lost Disc that had once been her opponent. She drew her dagger and concentrated, summoning up her power, doing her best to make it flow smoothly as the Phoenix had said.  
  
"FLAME SLASH!" Holly shouted and swung her dagger horizontally.  
  
The ribbon of flame flashed into existence as Holly's dagger traveled its arc, just as before. The flame shot forward and sliced the tree in half before dissipating as the top half of the tree thudded to the ground.  
  
"Wow! That was awesome Holly!" Genki grinned widely  
"This is gonna take some getting used to." Tiger commented to no one in particular  
"Now, whatever do you mean by that, Tiger?" Hare asked  
"It wasn't all that long ago when Holly was letting us all think she was completely helpless. Then it turns out that she's a decent fighter, for a human. Now she's merged with the Phoenix itself and firing off attacks of the sort only monsters like us should be able to do."  
"Holly, if you're already getting used to the Phoenix's power, how long do you think it'll be before you can take on Moo?" Genki asked hopefully  
[It will be some time yet, young Genki.] Holly's eyes glowed as the Phoenix answered Genki's question [Holly's body is growing used to channeling a small amount of my power, but it will be quite some time before she will be able to safely use my full power, and my full power is what will be required to defeat Moo.]  
"Great things, cannot be rushed." Golem said in his usual calm manner  
"You're right, Golem." Genki agreed "And Moo's defeat is a very good thing, indeed."  
"Very good, chi!" Moochi echoed Genki's statement  
"So for now, our targets are the remaining half of the Big Bad Four. Let's go!"  
"Chi!"  
  
Genki and Moochi jumped into the air energetically before they and the others resumed walking in the direction they had been going before being attacked by the Centurions. The road of their adventures is still long, but now there is a light of true hope at the end, in the form of the Phoenix's power contained within Holly. But what else lies down the road? What adventures lie down the road for our heroes between here and the end? What will Moo do when he eventually finds out that the soul of his mortal enemy now resides within the daughter of the man whose body he took over?   
  
End of Chapter 2  
  
Here's chapter 2 all done, written completely during the time when fanfiction.net has been down. From chapter 3 on, I'm gonna be mostly following the Monster Rancher anime plotline, but with some rather interesting changes to reflect the changes in Holly. There will also be some stuff completely from my imagination, so it won't all be rewrites of existing material. As I said in the author's notes of chapter 1: If you don't like how I changed how and when the Phoenix was found, DEAL WITH IT. No one's forcing you to read this fic. If you enjoy what I've written, please review. If you don't like it, please also review but please include constructive criticism so I can make it better in future chapters  



	3. Tiger's Battle with Destiny

(Type a title for your page here) Phoenix Arisen  
By: Jumper Prime  
  
For Disclaimers see chapter 1  
  
Chapter 3: Tiger's Battle with Destiny  
  
Genki, Moochi, Holly, Suezo, Tiger, Hare, and Golem were walking down the road on a bright sunny day when a Cabalos(Tiger/Naga) jumped out in front of the group. They immediately went on the alert, ready to fight, but the Cabalos was alone and didn't attack. Instead, it delivered a message.  
  
"Greetings rebels," the purple Tiger-type said "I bring a message from Master Grey Wolf. He challenges Tiger of the Wind to a duel of honor. No Baddies will interfere and no other rebels are to tag along."  
"I agree." Tiger responded immediately  
"No Tiger!" Genki cautioned "It could be a trap!"  
"Trap, chi." Moochi echoed  
"For all we know, Grey Wolf and a bunch of his Baddies could gang up on you as soon as you arrive." Holly noted  
"In such a situation, the odds would not be good for you." Hare agreed  
"Enough!" Tiger roared "I've already accepted the challenge, and that is final!"  
"At least let us come with you." Holly offered "We won't interfere and we'll make sure Grey Wolf plays fair too."  
"No way." The Cabalos said calmly "Either Tiger comes alone or I don't lead him to Master Grey Wolf."  
"Then let's go, already." Tiger snarled  
  
With a smirk, the Cabalos turned and started running with Tiger close behind.  
  
"Tiger! Wait!" Genki called out to his friend but Tiger either didn't hear or simply ignored him. In mere moments both Tiger and the Cabalos were out of sight.  
"Now what do we do?" Holly sighed "Grey Wolf won't keep his word. If Tiger gets the upper-hand, he'll cheat and we won't be there to help him."  
"Don't be so sure about that, Holly." Suezo said with a hint of pride in his voice "GOLEM!" At Suezo's shout, Golem reached down and picked up the yellow eyeball and threw him high into the air "Got em!" he yelled as he reached the peak of his flight "They're heading for that mountain!" As Suezo fell back down, he saw Golem turn to peer in the direction Tiger and the Cabalos had gone. "GOLEM! CATCH ME!"  
  
But the stone giant did not catch the rapidly falling monster and Suezo found himself in a very recently created depression in the earth, feeling a bit of pain following his abrupt encounter with the ground.  
  
"Sorry." Golem apologized to Suezo as he picked him up out of the hole and set him down on his thick tail  
"Y'know Golem, sometimes I think you do that on purpose." Suezo said crossly  
"Suezo, I would never do that on purpose."  
"You guys can talk about it later," Genki interrupted "We gotta motor! Tiger might need our help."  
  
So saying, Genki took off running, Moochi perched on his back, with Holly, Hare, Suezo, and Golem running right behind them. They stopped only once, for Golem to throw Suezo skyward again to get a better idea of Tiger's destination, and then they began running again until they reached the cliff face that Suezo had seen Tiger and the Cabalos scale by leaping from ledge to ledge. Genki, Holly, and the others could not leap from ledge to ledge as the Tiger-types had so they had to climb hand over hand. Golem offered to let Holly ride up on his back but she refused, preferring to make the climb herself. She soon discovered that she had no trouble keeping up with Genki and the others, in fact, the higher she got, the easier it seemed.  
*And why shouldn't it?* Holly mused to herself *The Phoenix is a bird which soars through the air.*  
[Indeed Holly.] The Phoenix's words echoed in Holly's head [The sky is, or at least was, my home. My power within you longs to taste the clouds again. Add this desire to the increased strength and agility the channeling of my power grants you, and this climb should be simplicity itself.]  
*Increased strength and agility?*  
[Yes. It is only a trickle right now, but the more accustomed you grow to my power, the more will flow.]  
*Wow. I hope I don't disappoint you when the time comes.*  
[Impossible. If you do your best, even if you fail to defeat Moo, I will not be disappointed. I have seen into your heart and can see the inner strength which was there long before I took up residence. My power is simply bringing that inner strength into the physical realm.]  
  
As the group reached the top, they saw Tiger under attack by a pack of Cabalos.  
  
"We were right." Genki frowned "Grey Wolf's Baddies're ganging up on Tiger."  
"What do you say we even the odds?" Holly asked as she drew her dagger  
"I say: Let's Rip It Up!"  
  
Genki dashed towards the fight with Moochi on his back and the others close behind. Genki leaped into the air and Moochi separated from him as they reached the peak of their arc. Moochi, curled up in a ball, slammed into one Cabalos while Genki's extended foot kicked a Cabalos away from the beleaguered Tiger.  
  
"Grey Wolf must've forgotten about his 'duel of honor.'" Genki said sarcastically and Grey Wold just smirked  
"You might be interested to know," the silver Tiger-type began "That he's decided to join forces with me." There was a moment of silence after this declaration, which was immediately broken by the sound of laughter from Genki, Moochi, Holly, Suezo, Hare, and Golem.  
"Did you really expect us to believe such an obvious lie?" Genki asked  
"Oh, but it's not a lie."  
"We know Tiger would never do such a thing!" Holly said with confidence  
"I know Tiger better than any of you fools do!" Grey Wolf snarled angrily and hen howled "Cabalos, attack!"  
  
At Grey Wolf's command, his pack of Tiger/Nagas leapt at the group. Holly dived out of the way of a charging Cabalos while the others similarly avoided attacks and started fighting the Baddies. Holly slashed with her dagger at a Cabalos which dodged aside. She managed to land a kick but before she could follow up, she had to jump clear of a Lightning attack from another Cabalos. Holly knocked away a nearby Cabalos with a kick and then sent a Flame Slash at the Cabalos that had tried to fry her, sending it reeling with burned fur.  
  
"What in the world is that?" Suezo stammered and Holly looked in his direction to see the eyeball gazing at Tiger and Grey Wolf, who seemed to be in the eye of a miniature hurricane  
"It's Tiger's Twister," Hare said "The deadliest of the Tiger breed's attacks."  
  
Holly's attention was forcibly taken away from Tiger's battle by a Cabalos as its Roar knocked her over. Holly rolled to her feet, just avoiding getting cut by the monster's sharp claws, and slashed it with her dagger, drawing a little blood. She sent it reeling with a punch from her left hand and then suddenly heard Tiger give a cry of pain. Holly turned to see Tiger hit the ground as the mini-hurricane dissipated.  
  
"Heh..." Tiger said quietly as his breathing hard and ragged "I... taught you that move."  
  
Tiger then collapsed to the ground. Grey Wolf started to move towards him to finish him off, but Genki broke away from the fighting to get between them.  
  
"You insult Tiger's warrior pride, boy." Grey Wolf mocked "Now get out of the way."  
"I won't let you hurt Tiger." Genki replied defiantly  
  
Suddenly, almost too fast for the eye to see, Tiger jumped to his feet and shot past Genki, impaling Grey Wolf with his horns. A shattering sound was heard at the moment of the hit as the crest on Grey Wolf's chest was shattered by one of Tiger's horns. Grey Wolf slumped to the ground, his fall bringing forth fear in the hearts of his Baddies.  
  
"Cabalos! Retreat!" One Cabalos ordered and all turned tail and ran, leaving their fallen leader behind  
"You beat me..." Grey Wolf rasped out "I'm proud of you."  
"I'm sorry." Tiger said solemnly as he stood over his fallen brother, eyes closed so he could not see what he had done to him  
"Don't be. I'm free now. I wish there was some way of going back to when we were innocent puppies again."  
  
Grey Wolf went still, including his breathing. His body glowed and then changed, solidifying into a Lost Disc. Tiger opened his eyes and stared in horror at what had once been his brother. The rest of the group remained silent as Tiger let out a mournful howl.  
  
End of chapter 3  
  
For those who have seen and actually remember perfectly the events of "Tiger's Battle with Destiny" I ask your forgiveness as I only got to see it once due to Fox Family's idiotic policy of not showing two of the most important episodes in the entire series. I've done my best to reconstruct it from what little I remember of the episode, plus a semi-detailed summary I found on the Monster Rancher messageboard(mostly the summary) but there are likely distinct differences that have nothing to do with the change in Holly's status. On another note, this may be the last chapter of Phoenix Arisen that I write, due to a marked lack of interest that I have noted. In all the time that the first two chapters have been up, this story has received ZERO reviews. Since it has gotten a number of hits, I can only take this to mean that nobody likes it, so unless this story gets enough reviews to make me think otherwise, there will be no more chapters. Over and, quite possibly, out.  



End file.
